Page 96 of Nuts

The air between us was thick with her anger.

I swallowed heavily. “Uh huh.”

“That was the first time for me. I’d never done it before. I always expected the heavens to open, angels to sing, and unicorn dust to rain down on me when I had sex for the first time. You know, that the emotional part of it would be as good or better than the sex itself. Well, guess what?”

I had no idea she was a virgin. I felt like a complete idiot. An almost silent what? puffed past my dry lips.

“All of those things happened. Every one of them,” she said. “Even the unicorn dust. And guess what else?”

“I’m sorry. I had no idea about. I mean.” I stammered. “I wondered because--”

“I’m making a point,” she snapped. “And I’m not done yet.”

“Okay.”

“I’ll tell you what else. It happened again. Last night. Dust and all.”

I swallowed hard. I felt the same way, although I had no idea what unicorn dust was. During sex, everything with Joey was different. It wasn’t simply going through the motions or committing the act.

It was an experience. An experience, that despite the amount of times I’d had sex in the past, was new to me.

I felt like a shit heel. And, I was standing in front of her naked. I felt vulnerable and foolish. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know I was taking that from you. I would have been more gentle.”

“Taking what?”

“Your virginity.”

“Taking it?” She coughed a laugh. “You didn’t take anything. I gave it to you. Because I trust that you won’t do anything to hurt me. I trust that you’re here for the long haul. That you’re going to be different than everyone from my past, and that you’re not going to leave me. Are you going to leave me, Percy?”

I swallowed hard. “No.”

“Are you going to get sick of me?”

“No.”

She pressed her hands to her hips and shot me a glare. “The only way I’m ever going to leave you is if you ask me to. In the absence of that request, I’m going to assume you want me to stay. And, I will stay. Forever. I can say that without hesitation, because after feeling what it’s like to have you in my life, I can’t imagine living a day without you. Am I going to get sick of you? I think not.”

“Okay. So, what you’re saying is, if I don’t ask you to leave, you’re going to stay?”

“That’s what I said.”

“No matter what?”

“No matter what,” she said.

“Take off your shirt.”

She looked confused. “What?”

“Take. Off. Your. Shirt.”

She lifted her shirt over her head and then tossed it onto the floor. “Anything else?”

I took every inch of her into my view. Her pale skin was smooth, and without fault. Her body was remarkable. Her curves undeniably sexy.

“Ditch the sweats.”

She pushed the sweats down her legs and kicked them to the side. “What now, boss?”